Incomes Protocol 'Hurting Workers'

Daily Nation, Monday 29 May 2000

A TRADE unionist and executive member of the Democratic Labour Party
(DLP) said the Prices and Incomes Protocol seemed not to be
functioning in the interest of the workers.

The criticism of the tripartite agreement between labour unions,
Government and the private sector came from DLP vice-president Undine
Whittaker at the party's all-day review yesterday at its George Street
headquarters.

She said the three parties signed the agreement for the national good
and all three parties should benefit.

To cheers from scores of party supporters, Whittaker, who is also
president of the Barbados Union of Teachers, said the question which
needed to be answered was:"Are the workers benefiting?"

She said that during two major industrial disputes recently involving
hotel workers and later sugar industry workers, the Government took an
anti-worker stance.

"As soon as the workers seek to assert their rights that is the
position taken by the Government,"she said.

Whittaker said it was clear that two partners in the protocol, the
third of which was signed on May Day this year, were"benefiting
but the workers who turn the wheels of industry are not?.

Her stand was supported by industrial relations practitioner Carol
Jordan, who said that given the large number of national industrial
disputes last year, the partners in the protocol should seek to
determine whether workers saw themselves as benefiting from it.

She said last year saw major industrial upheaval at the Caribbean
Broadcasting Corporation, Advocate Company Ltd; General Post Office,
the Royal Barbados Police Force and among nurses.

Jordan argued that the issues about which workers agitated were
covered within the protocol and therefore the partners should ask
themselves why it was necessary for them to go to such extremes.

She said what was lacking was a level of communication, especially
within the private sector, which would filter down to members.

"If communication obtains in the way that we expect it to, the
matters that arise in individual companies need not be
contentious,"Jordan said.